SmileyDay Posted June 9 Share Posted June 9 Hello, for a project I need to translate a text that explains different medieval building professions and their tools into English, among them various tongs. I tried researching the tools online, but with the following tongs I've had my problems. Can you tell me what these tongs are called, please? It'd be most appreciated! 1) 2) 3) Don't know if the photo shows this properly, but this last one is for holding something round. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBones Posted June 9 Share Posted June 9 Smiley, welcome aboard. As customary it has to be said to fill out your header and let us know where you are at in the world. General area is fine but there may be a dozen smiths close that will happily help you out, and give you local contacts. Those top ones are box jaw tongs. Used for holding square or flat bar stock. Ones for holding flat bar usually do not have 2 "boxes" but 1 box and 1 flat jaw. Doing a search on the internet for "box jaw tongs" or "double box jaw tongs" should get you a load of info. The second set is just round jaw tongs. And like the 3rd set used for round stock. Number 3 are bolt jaw tongs. The first and 3rd i have also heard called goose neck. The bends are so that, for example, if you are making a bolt you can grab the shank of the bolt rather than try and hold it by the head. Hope this helps and if i made any mistakes someone should be along to correct me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted June 9 Share Posted June 9 Welcome aboard from 7500' in SE Wyoming. Glad to have you. You may want to look at the selection of tongs offered by various blacksmith/farrier suppliers such as Blacksmiths' Depot or Centaur Forge. The gooseneck style is a very ancient one going back, at least, to Roman times. The large tongs found in the Viking Age Mastermyr tool chest are a semi-gooseneck design. It is worth noting that some tongs, like your box and round tongs are designed to hold a work piece by the end while others, such as flat jaw tongs, may hold the work in any orientation. The choice depends on what you are doing and what works best for the particular job you are doing. That is why blacksmiths tend to have a LOT of tongs in their shop and shift between them depending on what they are doing at the moment. You may use multiple tongs for making a particular object. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmileyDay Posted June 10 Author Share Posted June 10 Oh, I'm sorry. I hope I've changed my info accordingly now. Thanks a lot to both of you! Your answers are very helpful! So I take it that while both no 1 and no 3 can be called gooseneck tongs, only no 3 would be called a bolt tong? And I understood it correctly that tongs are used mostly for holding and not (with the exception of scrolling tongs) for shaping workpieces, right? Yes, I've read about the Mastermyr chest. It's a really incredible find! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julianb Posted June 10 Share Posted June 10 Hi, as I am from Germany as well, I’d be able to provide you with the German terms. I’ll shoot you a message! Cheers! Julian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted June 14 Share Posted June 14 Julian, please post your names here in German.. Education and or learning is part of the fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julianb Posted June 19 Share Posted June 19 The German terms are often directly translatable and only take the form of the jaws into account. I'll add a verbatim translation. The first ones are called "Kastenzange" (box tongs), the second and third ones "Rundzange / Rundmaulzange" (round tongs / round jaw tongs), as they both are designed to handle round stock lengthwise. Cheers! Julian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted June 19 Share Posted June 19 Julian, Thank you.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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